Clamp for wire conductors



y 1929- H. w. BODENDIECK ET AL 1,712,067

CLAMP FOR WIRE CONDUCTORS Filed Feb. 4, 1926 b H. 14/- .Boden Jiezl! "71 77 'na wonz anion wig Patented May 7, 1929.

PATENT, OFFICE;

HENRY- W. BODENDIECK AND MELVIN T. TIPSORD, OF TAYLORVILLE, ILLINOIS,

INCORPORATED, 'OF TAYLORVILLE, ILIIZII- .ASSIGNORS TO TIPS' TOOL COMPANY, NOIS', A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CLAMP r03 wine connucrons.

Application filed. February 4, 1926. Serial No. 85,986.

This invention relates-to clamps for wire conductors and has relation more particularly to a device of this kind especially known in the trade as a hot'line wire clamp, and it is an object of the invention toprovide a device of this kind of a springless type and which is provided with means whereby requisite initial engagement of'the clamp with the line or conductor may be readily accomplished, said means also operating as an effective medium to prevent displacementof the clamp with respect to the line orconductor during the period the clamp is bemg applied.

Furthermore, it is an object ot the invention to provide a device of this kind provided with relatively movable elements, oneot said elements having associated therewith means whereby the same may be caused readily and conveniently to move toward or from thesecond element.

The invention consists in'the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of our-improved clamp for a. wire conductor whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensire and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel featuresof our invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that our invention may be the better understood, we will now proceed to describe the same withreference to the ae-' companying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view in elevation illustrating a clamp constructed in accordance with an embodiment of our invention, the main hot line or conductor being shown in section and the bypass wire or tap being disclosed in fragment;

Figure 2 is a view in tdp plan of the structure as illustrated in Figure 1 with the bypass wire or tap omitted;

' Figure 3 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the manipulating pole for applying or removing the clamp with respect to a hot line or conductor. i

As disclosedin the accompanying 'drawings, our improved clampeomprises a body member B comprising an intermediate elongated member or shank 1 provided at its. outer end with an outwardly dis osed clamping element or jaw 2, the inner ace of which being substantially at right angles to the member or shank 1. The inner end of the member or shank 1 is provided with an inwardly directed lug or block 3 substantially parallel to the element or jaw 2 and through which is threaded from below an elongated shank or bolt 4.

The outer end-of the shank or bolt 4 is provided with an eye member 5 while the inner or opposite end portion of said shank or bolt 4.is in swiveled connection, as at 6, with a movable clamping element or jaw 7 This element or jaw 7 has one marginal portion provided with a recess 8 in which is received the adjacent face portion of the member or shank 1 whereby the jaw or element 7 is held against rotary movement but is free to move toward or from the jaw 2.

" The upper or outer end portion of the member or shank 1 has integrally formed therewith a sleeve or barrel 10, the same being coplanar with the, jaw 2 and disposed on an incline diverging toward the outer end of the body B or more particularly the member or shank 1. This barrel or sleeve 10 is adapted to have inserted therein through either end as may be preferred an extremity of a bypass wire or tap 11, said extremity of the wire 11 being effectively held against displacement with respect to the sleeve or barrel 10 through the medium of the binding screws 12. These screws 12 are herein disclosedas two in number and are disposed through a side of the wall of the barrel 10, said side wall being provided with anoutstanding rib or flange 14 through which the screws 12 are directed.

-The outer portion of the wall of the sleeve 1 or barrel 10 has extending radially therefrom an eye member 15. The outer or free end of the jaw 2 is continued by an elonor tongue 16. This tongue or extension 16 serves efi'ectively as a guide to facilitate the application of the clamp upon the conductor C and its length is such to provide an effec:

tive means to hold the device from displacement withrespect to the conductor C during the period the shank or bolt 4 is being manipulated or rotated to bring the second clamping element or aw 7 into contact with such conductor.

In Figure 4 of the drawings is illustrated a conventional type of insulated manipulating pole P which is employed with devices similar to our improved clamp, the eye member being engaged with the hook member 17 carried by the pole P in applying or removing the clamp in its entirety with re spect to a wire or conductor C, while the prongs 18 of'the pole or stick P are engaged with the eye member 5 when it is desired to rotate the shank or bolt 4.

. Our improved clamp may be used in ho line maintenance work to bypass, to make hot taps, to hook up transformers, lightning arrester's, or any electrical apparatus where a perfect contact is necessary, to a live or dead line; but it is especially designed for live line work, and is made to be used with live line tools.

It is of utmost importance that the clamping element or jaw 7 be non-rotative so that the proper alignment of such jaw with respect to the conductor C will be assured in applying the device to the conductor. This is also important as it is of advantage to have the aw 7 operate to substantially align with the conductor C and which in so far as any lengthwise movement of the jaw 7 with respect to the shank or bolt 4 is permitted due to the attendant looseness in the swivel connection 6.

As illustrated in Figure 1, it is also to be noted that the free end portion of the tongue or extension 16terminates a material distance outwardly from the adjacent end of the lug or block 3 and in a plane spaced from the plane of the inner face of said block or lug 3 not greater than the thickness of the jaw 7. By this arrangement it is assured that the tongue or extension 16 at no time will offer any hinderance 01' ohstruction to the jaw 7 which would otherwise have a tendency to interfere with its proper engagement with the conductor C.

It is to be understood at this time that the particular arrangement ofv the tongue or extension 16 renders the clamp especially advantageous for use in connection with a live line. In practice, with the pole P in proper engagement with the shank 4 and the jaw 7 in a position immediately adjacent to the lug or block 3 the jaw 2 maybe quickly engaged with the live conductor C without causing any are. This is due to the fact. that the tongue or extension 16 serves as a ready guide for proper placement of the jaw 2 and also assures the jaw 2 when engaged with the conductor G to be in properalignment therewith.

In practice, the pole P is operatively engaged with the eye member 15 in initially applying the clamp to the conductor and' ,also preferably in removing the same. It

is to be understood that after the clamp has been first engaged with the conductor the said poles being engaged with an eye member 15 and the other with the shank 4.

As hereinbefore stated, the bypass wire or tap 11 may be inserted into the barrel or sleeve 10 "through either end. This is of particular advantage because should it be desired to make a connection from above through the bypass wire or tap 11, said tap can be readily inserted into the barrel or sleeve 10 through the outer end thereof so that upon requisite manipulation of the tool to engage the clamp with the conductor C such connected bypass wire or tap 11 will offer no hinderance or obstruction to such operation. This arrangement of the bypass wire or tap 11 is also of advantage as it assures the avoidance of kinks or loops which are so undesirable in connection with current transmission.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a clamp for a wire conductor constructed in accordance with our invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that our invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the precise arrange ment and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out our invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

We claim i A clamp of the class described comprising a body member having a fixed jaw, a movable jaw carried by the body member and coacting with the fixed jaw, a sleeve carried by the outer end portion of the body member at the side thereof opposite to the fixed jaw, said sleeve being open at both ends, said sleeve being substantially coplanar with the fixed jaw and disposed lengthwise on an incline converging toward the outer end of the body member, and an outstanding eye member carried by the sleeve, said eye member being also coplanar with the fixed jaw.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aifix our signatures.

HENRY W. BODENDIECK. MELVIN T. TIPSORD. V 

